For the February topic,
Roger Pience, N1XP, gave a hands-on demonstration of soldering. He
began by going over some of the equipment required, and explained what
soldering tips, flux, and solder works best in certain applications.
From there, many of those on hand gave it a try for themselves,
soldering components on printed circuit boards.

Amateur Radio
Finally Jumps on the Maker Bandwagon A
Look at the DIY Movement by
Dan Romanchik, KB6NU

Over
three years ago, I wrote that amateur radio should do more to associate
itself with the Maker, or "do it yourself" (DIY) movement
(www.kb6nu.com/lets-get-on-the-maker-bandwagon/) Well, it
finally
looks like it is going to do just that.

The results
from this year's Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge are official! We're
happy to announce that this year's overall winner was Stephen
Curry,
KD1O, of Knox, Maine. Stephen had 71 contacts in 60 cities for a total
of 4260 points! For a full summary and all the class winners, please
click the link below.

Recently,
I ordered two dust covers for my
rigs - one for my Icom IC-7000 and one for my Drake TR-4C.
These
covers were made by Stan Clewett, W6ON, of Redding, CA. Stan did a
wonderful job for me, and I can't recommend these covers enough. I
would say that the Elite covers are the best you can buy. The
Elite model costs a little bit more, but they are definitely worth the
extra money. They fit perfectly. The craftsmanship is beautiful, and
they are made of quality materials. Shipping was very quick. I had mine
in five days - which was an unexpected surprise, and that included
mailing in the
payment! The embroidered logo on the front is very nicely done, and
really adds to the station while also providing protection for the
rigs. If you are looking for covers for your radios, order them from
Stan. You won't be sorry. Visit:http://www.radiodustcovers.com/index.html

Skywarn
ClassScheduled for April 5th

For
anyone interested in getting a Skywarn spotter number, or if you just
want to brush up on your weather spotting skills, stop by the Gorham
Recreation Department on April 5th, for a Cumberland County Skywarn
class. The class will start at 6:30PM. For more information about
Skywarn, click here.

April
12th-
from 7PM-9PM at the Gorham Recreation Department.May
10th -
from 7PM-9PM at the Gorham Recreation Department.

The
Wireless Society of Southern Maine would like to welcome Samuel Webber,
N1WIG and Sean Binette, W1GFD as our newest members.

Click
here to view ham radio gear for sale, events, and other ads
in our
classified section. Remember this FREE feature when you have
announcements or items for sale.

Rumor
has it that one of our club members has won the prestigious Worked All
Small European Countries (W.A.S.E.C.) award, presented by the
Association des Radio-Amateurs de Monaco.

From
the Editor's Desk

Well,
spring is finally inching closer, and many of us can't wait to get out
and enjoy the nice weather, though it can be unpredicatable this time
of year. There's been a lot of talk lately about getting out to do a
special event somewhere, but nothing's been firmed up yet.

Just after our last newsletter went out, we hosted the 2nd Annual Maine
2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge.
Participation was up overall and some huge point totals were put up by
the overall and class winners. In all, it was a lot of fun, and a great
experience. Can't wait till next year.

This
weekend, stop by our booth at the Maine State ARRL Convention, which
takes place at the Ramada Convention Center in Lewiston, Maine, on
Friday, March 23rd, from 7PM-9PM and Saturday, March 24th, from
8AM-12PM. Click here for more info, and
directions. Remember, if anyone is
interested in
contributing, just send along a story, idea, brag, or picture to kb1hnz@yahoo.com
As always, I also welcome any comments or suggestions on how to improve
The
Radiogram for
future issues.

- Tim Watson, KB1HNZ

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